Be the Girl He Wants
by luckyfree3
Summary: Marinette finally realized how she was going to become the kind of girl Adrien likes.


Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or any of its characters!

Marinette finally realized how she was going to become the kind of girl Adrien likes.

It occurred to her after deep thought, *ahem* after getting distracted from homework. She had noticed some odd things after the past few months-little surprises. For instance, during class one time, Marinette had been staring at the gorgeous fluff that was Adrien's hair when he took out his phone underneath the table. Her eyes drifted to the phone, and her heart stopped.

His lock screen was a photo of Ladybug on a roof, poised as though ready to fight. The look in her eyes was one of fierce determination.

Once she saw that, curiosity got the better of her. She didn't look through Adrien's stuff or anything, but she did pay a little more attention to moments she might have missed before because she was too scared to look at Adrien and accidentally meet his eye. What if he thought she was staring?!

Anyways, the next time she noticed was when she had come to class a little late. Okay, maybe it was a more than a little late. She had missed the entire first block because she slept through her alarm. She was walking to her first block classroom hoping to catch up with Alya and ask for the notes she missed, but when she saw Adrien start to come out of the classroom she panicked and hid behind the classroom door. He was talking with Nino and Alya, but mostly with Alya.

The aforementioned girl was discussing the latest information that she would be posting on the Ladyblog. At the end of her tangent, she dropped her arms and exclaimed towards the ceiling, "Ladybug is just soo cool! She's clever, and kind...and…", Alya flung her arms out, trying to find the words to explain how awesome she is.

Nino and Adrien chuckled at her dramatics. Adrien supplied the rest of the words, "And confident, independent, and graceful."

Alya turned to Adrien, "Yes! Exactly! Isn't she just the best?"

Nino playfully shoved Adrien as he started slipping into a daydream, with him smiling and murmuring, "She certainly is..."

Marinette took out her sketchbook as her friends rounded a corner in the hallway and scribbled down a few words. Tikki peered out of her jacket pocket and saw the words confident, independent, and graceful.

Marinette now was staring in deep thought at the piece of paper she tore from her sketchbook. She was sitting backwards on her rolly desk chair, lightly pushing a pen into her head. Adrien really liked Ladybug, so to become the object of Adrien's affections she just had to become more like her alternate self. She thought out loud, "How do I become confident, independent and graceful…"

Tikky perked up, "That's easy! Ladybug is all of those things."

Marinette sighed, relaxing her arms and letting them droop while she pouted on the back of her chair. "But I'm not Ladybug. I'm just," she bit her cheek and breathed in, "just Marinette."

Tikky's eyes softened. Marinette might be able to transform into Ladybug, but she had a long way to before they were one and the same. "That's okay!" She reassured. "The point is you've been Ladybug and you know what it feels like to be confident and graceful and all that. Think, what would Ladybug do?"

Marinette sat up a little straighter. She began to smile as the gears turned in her head. "Yeah! Thanks Tikky."

Now came the time to implement her plan. Maybe she couldn't hide behind her mask and suit, but she found it helped to be wearing something that resembled her Ladybug outfit, even if it was just a little bit. For example, today she was wearing a peter-pan collared red dress and black flats. She had gotten up on time today specifically so she could make time to plan her outfit. If she looked the part, she hoped, she could play the part.

Confident. Independent. Graceful. She had taken to chanting the words in her mind on her way to school that morning, focusing very hard. She planned out the scenario in her head. When she saw Adrien, she would just go up to him and say-

"G-good morning Adrien! How's it going?" She waved half-heartedly before moving to take her seat. In her tunnel-vision walk, she hadn't realized that she had made it to Adrien's seat, the very focus of her thoughts.

Adrien turned from the conversation he was having with Nino to see who had greeted him, and was shocked to see it was none other than Marinette.

The surprise showed through his voice, "Oh! Uh, good morning Marinette.", he said as he turned to face her in her seat and nervously laughed a bit. However, Nino tapped Adrien on the shoulder and pulled him back into whatever they had been talking about.

Marinette had been fighting off her blush so hard, and when Adrien turned back around she let it all out. Her face turned red as a tomato as she laid her head on the table. Alya could almost see the steam coming out of her shy best friend's ears. But just because she was embarrassed, didn't mean she was off the hook. Alya poke-jabbed Marinette in the arm and whisper-screamed, "What was that?!" and

"Ohmygod I'm so proud of you my little baby is growing up!"

Marinette was about to explain to Alya the brilliant idea she had come up with when the teacher walked in and began the lesson, so she tried in vain to shush her best friend throughout the entire class.

Finally, class ended and Alya quickly dragged Marinette out the door. Marinette debriefed the plan to Alya, leaving out the bit with her kwami saying that Marinette just has to remember what being Ladybug is like. Alya shrieked, and said, "That's what I've been saying this whole time! Just build up the guts to be yourself around him!"

Marinette shook her head, her pigtails bouncing along. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean, yes, being confident, but being myself? That's out of the question. I want to be independent, and graceful, like Ladybug. Not helpless and clumsy, like me!"

Alya shook her head. "No, you don't get it. What I'm saying is, when you are really being yourself, you already are those things!"

Marinette shook her head in disbelief again, but she began to smile and blush. "You really think so?"

Alya grinned and hooked arms with her best friend, "I know so. Now go out there and get the guy!"

Sorry for cheesiness and slow-moving story, but I promise it'll get better!

Please R&R!


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